NORTH CAPE - A nearly $24-million project announced here on Friday by Prime Minister Stephen Harper will allow Prince Edward Island to use even more wind power to produce electricity, says Energy Minister Richard Brown.
The federal government is contributing $12-million over five years for the establishment of a small wind farm at Prince Edward Island's most northern point to study the storage of wind power.
The P.E.I. government is providing another $12.6 million in loans.
When the new wind farm is completed, nearly 21 per cent of P.E.I.'s entire power supply will come from wind.
"It's the key to making wind a true electrical source," Brown said Friday.
"If we can make it commercially viable to store, we can use more wind in our energy mix."
Harper was joined in North Cape by Premier Robert Ghiz and Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, who is also the local MP for the area.
"As generating electricity from fossil fuels becomes more costly, and concerns mount about the environmental impact of doing so, our government is actively supporting research into vital new technologies," said Harper.
The Wind Energy Institute of Canada will build and operate the 9-10 megawatt wind turbine cluster and electricity storage system, which will be located near its facility in North Cape.
North Cape has long been a leader in wind energy research. It was home to the Atlantic Wind Test Site, which was later expanded into the Wind Energy Institute of Canada.
It is also home to a provincial government owned wind farm.
The prime minister was on a whirlwind tour of P.E.I. on Friday. He attended the Gold Cup Parade Friday morning, a parade his office referred to as "famous."
"As generating electricity from fossil fuels becomes more costly, and concerns mount about the environmental impact of doing so, our government is actively supporting research into vital new technologies." - Prime Minister Stephen Harper
He then attended an invitation-only barbecue Friday evening in Crapaud.
Nearly 500 people packed into a building on the exhibition grounds. The building had a red mud floor while hand-made quilts were draped along the rough boards that surrounded the building.
Harper used his 26-minute speech to rally the troops in what sounded like an election-rallying call but he tempered that by saying Canadians do not want to go to the poll this fall.
"I think this crowd tonight shows there is a blue wave that is gathering strength in this great province," said Harper, as he welcomed his three unelected candidates to the stage.
They are Donna Profit in Charlottetown, Kerri Carpenter in Cardigan and Tim Ogilvie in Malpeque, who Harper described as "Wayne Easter's worst nightmare."
The prime minister flew back to Ottawa from Charlottetown Friday night after completing a three-day Maritime.
He declined repeated request from The Guardian for an interview and only took a handful of questions from reporters in North Cape.
Harper did not take any questions from the media while in Charlottetown or Crapaud.
"People ask me - I'm sure some of you will ask me - when will the next election be," Harper said in Crapaud.
"I'm going to tell you the same thing I tell everybody, don't ask us ask the Liberal, NDP, Bloc Quebecois opposition. Canadians do not want an election."
